The present invention generally relates to a cutter used to cut elongate products into sections. For example, the cutter may be used to cut extruded profiles with or without reinforcement. These materials have proven difficult to cut with existing cutters.
One existing cutter uses a curved blade that cuts through the material in a scythe like manner. This type of blade may be used to cut material as it comes off an extruder in a continuous manner. Unfortunately, the curved blade cutter often distorts the material as it cuts making it difficult to maintain dimensional accuracy. This distortion also may result in a defective cut surface that is scalloped or otherwise irregular. These problems are pronounced when cutting softer materials.
Another existing cutter operates in a lathe-like manner with the material being mounted inside a rotating mandrel. Since the mandrel has a finite length, extruded material must be pre-cut and mounted before additional cuts are made. Consequently, such cutters are not suitable for continuous operation.